Friday, January 11, 2013

Florida 18-Year-old Shoots Himself in the Head

Alexander Xavier Shaw died Wednesday as he was showing the weapon to family and friends, police
said.Witness told officers that Shaw, his uncle, grandparents and some
friends were on the back patio talking when he showed them a .38-caliber
revolver, police said.

Shaw told them that he kept one round out of the firing chamber to prevent an accidental shooting. Witnesses then said Shaw tried to prove the gun was safe by placing
it to his head and pulling the trigger, which is when the gun fired,
fatally wounding him, police said.

If only this were a rare isolated case. Unfortunately the ranks of lawful gun owners include all kinds.

7 comments:

The ranks of humanity include all kinds, and some make bad choices. I don't want to live in a society in which good choices are compulsory, and I've yet to hear of one that can stop all bad choices. The only viable option in a free society is to hold people responsible for the choices they make.

If you have a hammer down on an empty chamber (which is the safe way to carry an older revolver that does not have a transfer bar), the cylinder rotates over to the next chamber as you pull the trigger. This is how revolvers work.